1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to water supplies for the food and beverage service industry. More particularly, the present system and method provides a softened water product that can be carbonated and dispensed through a beverage dispenser, such as a soda fountain.
2. Related Art
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
In the food service, hospitality and related industries, a variety of water treatment and filtration systems have been developed and employed for many years. Companies such as U.S. Filter and Culligan have been leaders in the market for water filtration systems. For example, Culligan developed the Everpure® Water Filter System which is now used by Coca Cola® for their fountain beverage systems.
One aspect of water treatment that has gained much attention in recent years is water softening. Water softening removes minerals from water, and thus by itself provides a certain type of water purification. It is well known that soft water helps to reduce scale and mineral buildup in plumbing fixtures, pipes and appliances, for example, and is advantageous for use with soaps and detergents. However, soft water is generally not used for cooking or drinking purposes, and, more particularly, is not used for carbonated beverages for two primary reasons: (1) poor taste due to salt contamination, and (2) soft water is believed not to carbonate acceptably, predictably, or stably. For example, one leading manufacturer of carbonators and soda fountain dispensing machines specifically states in its carbonator manual that soft water is not acceptable for use in a fountain drink machine because it causes over-foaming of the beverage.
It is desirable to have consistent output quality in food and beverage water dispensing systems. Unfortunately, poorly designed and inefficient plumbing systems can hinder this objective and hinder the delivery of consistent quality water. For example, backflow from hot water heaters can introduce undesirable taste and smell into the feed water supply and compromise product quality. The present disclosure is directed toward one or more of the above-mentioned issues.